Buhari questions $9.7m cash for arms

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he would probe the circumstances surrounding how the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan conceived, and proceeded to fly $9.7million into South Africa from Nigeria, purportedly to buy arms.

The present administration also seeks to uncover the true purpose for which the money was meant, before it was impounded by the South African authorities.

The cash was seized by South African security men last September as it was being transferred into their country on a private jet by agents of the Federal Government. Former President Jonathan’s government claimed that the money was meant to purchase arms from private companies in South Africa.

Buhari told Nigerians in South Africa during a meeting with them in Johannesburg to round off his visit to the country for the African Union (AU) Summit, that, “I will attempt to ask him (President Zuma) about our $9.7 million which was not correctly transferred.”

He also said: “I’m told there are 83 Nigerians in prisons, I don’t know what they have done but I spoke to the President of South Africa this afternoon. He wants to come to Nigeria. There are issues we will talk about, I will certainly talk to him, I hope our ambassador will send a comprehensive report about the court cases, about those who lost properties during the disturbances.”

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